Erica Jones
Erica "Yoga" Jones is a former inmate at Litchfield Penitentiary who works as the prison's yoga instructor. She is portrayed by Constance Shulman. Yoga's character is based on Yoga Jane in the memoir ''Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison'' on which the series is based. Personality A recovering alcoholic, Jones is now a peaceful "hippie" who does yoga. As a Buddhist, she is very down to earth and spiritual. She leads a yoga class at Litchfield and always tries to break the conflicts of people with another or themselves, cheering them up with Buddhist wisdom. Still having to fight with her feelings of guilt, which she tries to compensate with her Buddhist lifestyle, she seems to be reassured by her time in prison, as she got to know "girls that remind her every day that self-forgiveness is possible". Physical Appearance Jones is a petite older white woman with short choppy blonde hair. She is presumably very flexible from doing yoga, but this may not be the case as fellow inmate Judy King stated she wasn't. In the first few seasons, Jones' hair was short and cropped, but around season 3, she let it grow longer, and started tying it into ponytails. Biography Before Litchfield Jones and her family were alcoholics. At one point, she had an acre of land in California that she used to grow marijuana. Jones often had to ward off deer that loved to eat the marijuana. One night, she shot and killed an 8-year-old boy whom she had drunkenly mistaken for a deer, although he was just running away from home because his parents took away his Nintendo. After that, she likely became a Buddhist to overcome her painful feeling of guilt. Season One Jones is now the mild-mannered yoga instructor at Litchfield. She is typically seen hanging out with Red's crew. On Piper's first day at Litchfield, Jones is one of the first inmates she gets to know and befriends, as she sits down at the same table as her during dinner. Jones attempts to be a peacemaker when Watson angers the inmates by exercising at night. Unfortunately, Watson mocks and goads Jones and suggests she molested or killed a child, causing Jones to lash out and slap Watson. Later, Watson, who is remorseful after noticing Jones not teaching yoga, encourages Jones to reveal the truth. After Jones tells Watson about her tragic past, the two begin a friendship. On one occasion, they use a nail to shock themselves by a chapel outlet, which Jones finds cathartic. Jones also has a small quarrel with the Litchfield Alcoholics Anonymous group for holding sessions in the same room at the same time as her yoga classes when the chapel stage is destroyed. Season Two She gets in a fight with Janae Watson, who was trying to intimidate her by guessing how she got into prison, and Jones ends up slapping her. She later tells Janae why she ended up in prison-for killing an 8-year old boy who was running away from home and wound up on her marijuana farm, mistaking him for someone who was after her marijuana. Season Three Jones starts to work for Piper's garments business. (...) Season Four Jones is assigned to bunk with Judy King in a private cell, she isn't impressed at how Judy gets 'special treatment' over the other inmates, but uses this to her advantage. Late in the season, Jones takes ecstasy with Judy King and Luschek. The three then have a threesome, the morning after which Jones appears upset due to "sleeping with the enemy". Season Five During the three day riot, Jones hides in Frieda’s bunker with Red, Alex, Piper, Blanca, Frieda, Gina, Norma, and Anita. She then decides to surrender peacefully to the armed officers who were storming the prison. She leaves the bunker with Gina, Anita, and Norma. She is later seen with Gina, Anita, and Norma, surrendering to the armed officers. She is last seen with the other captured inmates, who were boarding buses to go to an unknown location. [[Storm-y Weather]] Season Six Jones is not present in the sixth season of the show, except for a brief cameo in the last episode. Relationships Romantic *Joel Luschek (one known time) - a guard she did drugs with along with her roommate, Judy during the prison lock down and had a threesome with. *Judy King (one known time) - her new assigned roommate after MCC took over, a former popular TV Chef Personality, frenemy, and had sex with and a threesome with while on Molly with CO Luscheck. Family Unknown. Friends *Janae Watson - fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. After hitting Watson, Yoga Jones regrets this and eventually bonds with Watson. *Piper Chapman - a fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. During Chapman's first time, Yoga Jones is among the inmates to help her out. *Sister Ingalls - a fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. *Carrie "Big Boo" Black - a fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. *Nicky Nichols - a fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. *Lorna Morello - a fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. *Norma Romano - a fellow inmate and friend of Yoga Jones. *Sam Healy - Yoga Jones' counselor, who seems to have a decent relationship with Yoga Jones. *Galina "Red" Reznikov - a fellow inmate, who seems to like Yoga Jones, as she gives her extra food during the first episode. *Brook Soso - supported in her hunger strike by Yoga Jones. *Frieda Berlin *Gina Murphy *Anita DeMarco *Gloria Mendoza Enemies *Judy King Trivia Yoga Jones is based on Yoga Janet from the memoir, who was doing a two-year sentence on a marijuana charge. Kerman describes her as “fiftyish, tall, fair and striking” and “like me — a middle-class drug criminal.” In the show, Yoga Jones confesses to Watson that she’s in jail on murder charges: she grew weed in her backyard, but she was an “old-fashioned drunk” who ended up accidentally killing an 8-year-old boy she mistook for a deer fucking with her crops. Memorable Quotes Gallery Others yoga1.gif yoga2.gif yoga3.gif yoga4.gif yoga5.gif yoga6.gif Yoga Jones.png 04x01, Piper, Yoga.jpg 03x11, Flaca, Maritza, Stella, Yoga, Anita, Maria, Boo, Piper.jpg 04x01, Yoga, Lolly, Alex, Anita, Piscatella, Taystee.jpg 03x08, Piper, Big Boo, Yoga, Gina.jpg Appearances Navigation Category:Season 1 Characters Category:Season 2 Characters Category:Litchfield Inmates Category:Season 3 Characters Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Season 5 Characters Category:Characters based on real people Category:Season 7 Characters